1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to track-type vehicles and, more particularly, to improved tips for the grouser bars of the track shoes which tips have long-wear characteristics.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In track-type vehicles, such as crawler-type tractors, and the like, wear on the grouser bars of the track shoes has long been a problem. The problem and one solution thereto was set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,021 in the names of David H. Hawes and T. H. Spencer and assigned to the common assignee of the present application. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,021, wear-resistant grouser bars are electrically resistance pressure welded to a track shoe base made of a ductile and machinable material. The resulting track shoe was both cheaper than previous one-piece wear-resistant track shoes and extended the wear life of the track shoes considerably. However, it is desirable to further reduce the cost of the track shoe while further extending the wear life.
Attempts have been made to extend the wear-life of blades, or teeth for digging tools or graders and the like, by corrugating the edges of the teeth (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,379 to Benetti) or by setting wear-resistant material in a slot in the edge of the blade (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,677 to Stephenson) but the results of these efforts were never successful enough to be carried over into track shoes for use on track-type vehicles.